---
title: "Why Jan Exists"
description: "The problem with work about work and why Jan takes a different approach."
---

# Why Jan Exists

## The problem: work about work

Here's a stat that might surprise you: the average knowledge worker spends [60% of their time](https://asana.com/resources/why-work-about-work-is-bad) on what researchers call "work about work."

Not the actual work they were hired to do. The things around it. Searching for information. Chasing updates. Switching between apps. Talking about work instead of doing it.

Add it up and you're looking at 352 hours a year just talking about work. Another 209 hours on tasks someone else already did. 103 hours in meetings that didn't need to happen.

That's nearly 4 months a year spent on tasks that don't actually need human thinking. Just human time.

## It's an architecture problem

Most AI tools are built like calculators - useful when you need them, but you're still doing the work. They help you work faster, but they don't take work off your plate.

We think there's a better model. AI agents that work on their own - that can take a complex task and run for hours until it's finished. Research. Analysis. Reports. Presentations. The kind of work that takes time but doesn't need you there managing every step.

That's what Jan is built for.

## Our vision

Humanity-aligned AI that is open, participatory, and collectively owned.

## Our mission

Build autonomous AI agents that handle complex, time-consuming tasks from start to finish - and keep them open source and accessible to everyone.